The War of Pawns (The Human Chronicles -- Book Three) Read Online Free PDF

of defense against any attack from that region. “Is there any evidence of movement from the Far Arm toward my location, by these…Humans?”
    “Not at this time. However, we have learned what we believe to be is the location of the Human homeworld, a planet called Earth, and The Juirean Authority is amassing a fleet to assault the planet as soon as possible.”
    Lod-fin suddenly forgot all about his torn-up stomach, as excitement surged throughout his body. “That is magnificent news, My Lord. How can I be of assistance in this undertaking?”
    “Don’t be so anxious, Commander,” the Overlord warned. “These Humans are an unknown entity, and to date have proven to be a tenacious opponent. We do not know what we will be going up against during an assault of their homeworld.”
    “So what is my mission, My Lord?” Lod-fin asked, letting his enthusiasm override decorum with the Overlord.
    “A group of Humans have commandeered a battlecruiser, the UN-233 .”
    “My Lord, that is Commander Olin’s ship!”
    “It was, Commander. Like I said, the Humans are now in control of it, and Commander Olin has not been heard from in several days.”
    “Where is this ship now?” Olin was a friend of Lod-fin’s; they had crewed together on many a ship in the past, and it was on Lod-fin’s recommendation that Olin had received his own command.
    “We have lost contact with the UN-233 , however we believe that it may be headed to the Human homeworld. Since we know the location of Earth, we can assume they will follow that same track.”
    Yan’wal paused slightly before continuing. “Commander, your assignment will be to track down the UN-233 and prevent it from reaching Earth before our fleet arrives. As mentioned before, we do not have adequate intelligence as to the strength and capabilities of the enemy. Our fleet will be arriving essentially blind, and we cannot afford to have the Humans be forewarned of our arrival.
    “In addition, you are instructed to not only prevent the UN-233 from reaching Earth, but also to provide any information you can ascertain regarding the strength of the Human enemy. We need to know if they control a coalition of planets, or if they stand alone. We need to know about their industrial and technological capabilities, and what weapons they possess, as well as any allies they may have in neighboring systems.”
    Then the Overlord leaned in closer to the screen, “And Commander, we must not let them know we are collecting this data. The information we have received indicate that the Humans may be three years or so from being able to launch a direct assault on The Expansion. If so, then they may already be amassing ships for the assault. Should they learn that we know of their plans, they may choose to attack sooner.”
    “I understand, My Lord. And the first priority should be to stop the UN-233 at all costs.”
    “That is correct. The fleet we are assembling should consist of over 500 warships, which should be ample firepower to defeat this threat. However, it will not be ready to depart for approximately three more weeks, and then we will only be able to travel as fast as our slowest support ships. The assault on Earth will not take place for another four months. During this time, we need an advance force to lay communication relays and to provide whatever intelligence it can provide. You will be that advance force, Commander.”
    “This is a great honor you’re bestowing on me, My Lord. I will not let you down.”
    “I’m sure you will do your best. But I must stress to you again, the Humans must not learn of your presence in the region.”
    “Once the UN-233 has been destroyed, we will proceed with the utmost caution and stealth. With the UN-233 on its way to…to Earth, where would you project its location to be at this time?”
    “I will transmit an estimate to your nav computer presently. If we are right, they are probably just now beyond the Barrier and located about five light